Bracket for building components

ABSTRACT

A bracket includes a first plate section rigidly attached to a load bearing member of a building and a pair of slots are disposed in a second plate section with the first and second plate sections being onthogonally engaged with one another. A sheet metal screw extends through each slot into threaded engagement with a stud. Each sheet metal screw includes a shank section adjacent the head and of a length greater than the thickness of the second plate section to permit slidable movement of the second plate section and bracket relative to the stud only along the longitudinal axis of the slots.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to building structures and, more particularly, to brackets for a slideably interconnecting vertical studs with horizontal load bearing members of a building.

2. Description of Related Prior Art

More and more industrial, commercial and residential buildings are being constructed with horizontal steel members and vertical metallic studs to reduce environmental considerations, susceptibility to warpage, insects, rust and rot and fire safety considerations. Most buildings tend to settle over a period of time after construction and such settling will impose significant loads on rigidly connected elements of a building. There may also be movement of a building due to wind/snow loads, seismic disturbances and other significant forces to which the building may be subjected. The movement of load bearing horizontal members rigidly connected to wall elements may cause irreversible movement of the wall elements due to their generally lesser robustness and resulting in deformation to a greater or lesser degree. Such deformation may have significant negative effects upon elements imbedded in or otherwise associated with the wall elements.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A bracket is rigidly attached to either a floor structure or a load bearing member of a building and is slideably attached to a vertical stud to prevent settling or other movement of the floor structure or load bearing member from deforming the vertical stud and any associated wall. The bracket is formed of a plate bent at a right angle to form two orthogonal plate sections. A triangular gusset is secured to each opposed edge of the plate to prevent movement of the plate sections relative to one another. One of the plate sections is rigidly attached to the floor structure on the load bearing member. Sheet metal screws or the like extend through respective slots in the other of the plate sections and into threaded engagement with the vertical stud. Each screw include a shank of a length greater than the thickness of the other plate section to rigidly abut the shank against the vertical stud while accommodating movement of the other plate section along the vertical stud due to movement of the attached floor structure or load bearing member.

It is therefore a primary object of the present invention to provide a bracket for interconnecting a load bearing structure of a building with an orthogonally oriented element.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a bracket rigidly secured to a load bearing member of a building and slideably attached to a wall stud to accommodate movement of the bracket relative to the wall stud.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a rigid bracket fixedly attached to a load bearing member and slideably attached to an orthogonally oriented element.

Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a bracket for interconnecting a building element with an orthogonally oriented element while accommodating relative movement therebetween.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a bracket for interconnecting a load bearing member of a building with a wall stud to accommodate vertical movement therebetween while precluding horizontal movement therebetween in two axis.

A still further object of the present invention to provide a method for slideably attaching a load bearing structure with a wall stud.

A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a method for attaching a structure of a building with another structure of the building to accommodate movement therebetween in one axis and precluding movement in the remaining two axis.

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art as the description thereof proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention will be described with greater specificity and clarity with reference to the following drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a bracket interconnecting a horizontal load bearing member of a building with a vertical stud;

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view showing attachment of the bracket to the vertical stud;

FIG. 3 is an elevational view illustrating the bracket interconnecting the load bearing member with the vertical stud; and

FIG. 4 is a cross sectional view taken along lines 4-4, as shown in FIG. 3.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Referring to FIG. 1, there is illustrated a load bearing horizontal member 10 of a building, such as a floor. Typically, it is made of reinforced concrete 12. It includes an edge member 14, typically a length of right angled steel abutting end 16 of edge member 14. A vertical stud 20, typically formed of steel on other sheet metal having a C-shaped cross section, is adjacent edge member 14. This stud is part of a wall extending from or associated with load bearing horizontal member 10.

Previously, stud 20, or its equivalent, was fixedly attached to a load bearing horizontal member 10. This created a problem as a result of various forces/conditions that might arise after initial construction of the building. For example, settling of the building will result in movement of the load bearing horizontal member 10. Such movement may cause deformation or bending of any studs attached thereto. Seismographic disturbances may similarly affect the load bearing horizontal member with consequential damage to studs permanently and fixedly attached thereto. Other disturbances, such as movement of the building due to wind, weight of snow fall, flooding, etc. may cause greater or lesser movement of the load bearing horizontal member and result in deformation or other damage to studs attached thereto. As these studs are typically a part of a wall structure, the walls may buckle or otherwise become damaged. It is therefore a primary purpose of the present invention to prevent translation of vertically oriented forces to and deformation and damage of studs attached to load bearing horizontal members of a building due to movement of such load bearing members for whatever reason.

A bracket 30 is formed with a plate 32 bent into a right angle to form plate sections 34, 36. To add rigidity to the relationship between the plate sections, triangular or trapezoidal shaped gussets or braces, 38, 40 are fixedly attached to opposed edges 42, 44 of plate 32. Plate section 36 of bracket 30 is welded to edge member 14, as depicted by numeral 50. Typically, the weld would extend about the edges of plate section 36 to ensure rigid and robust attachment.

As shown in further detail in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4, bracket 30 includes one or more slots 60, 62 formed in plate section 34 in the event stud 20 is of sheet metal receptive to engagement by sheet metal screws in the conventional manner. Sheet metal screws 64, 66 extend through slots 60, 62, respectively, into threaded engagement with holes 68, 70 in section 22 of stud 20. Alternatively, these holes may be formed by the sheet metal screws upon threaded engagement by the sheet metal screws with the stud, as is well known in the art.

As particularly shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, each of the sheet metal screws, as illustrated by screw 64 shown in FIG. 4, includes an annular element or washer 72 to bear against section 22 on opposed sides of slot 60. It is to be understood that a conventional washer may be used and placed adjacent head 74 of the screw. A shank 76 extends either from washer 72 or head 74 and is terminated by threads 78 to become threadedly engaged with section 22. As illustrated, a cutting element 80 may be at the tip of screw 64 to cut hole 68 upon threaded engagement of the screw with section 22.

The length of shank 76 is longer than the thickness of plate section 34. Thereby, the screw is essentially rigidly secured to section 22 because shank 76 is greater than the thickness of plate section 34 and the shank will abut against section 22. There will be some space between washer 72 and surface 86 of plate section 34. Obviously, surface 86 may be adjacent washer 72, in which event there is a predetermined space between plate section 34 and surface 84 of section 22. This spacing will accommodate relative movement between bracket 30 and the stud to which it is attached.

By carefully dimensioning the diameter of shank 76 with the width of corresponding slot 60, movement of the bracket relative to the stud in the horizontal direction is essentially precluded. However, vertical movement of the bracket relative to the stud will be possible to the extent of the length of slot 60. The difference is length of shank 76 and the thickness of plate section 34 will limit the relative movement in the third axis. Thus, bracket 30 essentially accommodates movement in only one axis.

Should there be movement of load bearing horizontal member 10 in the vertical direction relative to stud 20, no vertical forces will be imposed upon the stud as any such movement will be accommodated by movement of screws 64, 66 within their respective slots 60, 62. As a result, no deformation of or damage to the stud will occur as a result of such vertical movement of the load bearing horizontal member 10. Any wall of which stud 20 is a part, will not be deformed or otherwise damaged as a result of such movement of load bearing horizontal member 10. 

1. A support for interconnecting a horizontal member of a building structure with a vertical stud, said support comprising in combination: a) a right angled member having opposed pairs of edges; b) a first element interconnecting the edges of a first pair of edges of said opposed pairs of edges; c) a second element interconnecting the edges of a second pair of edges of said opposed pairs of edges; d) said right angled member including a first side adapted for fixed attachment to the horizontal member and a second side adapted for sliding attachment to the stud; e) at least one shot disposed in said second side; f) a screw means for penetrably engaging said at least one slot and for threadedly engaging the stud, said screw means including a shank having a length greater than the thickness of said second side to accommodate sliding movement between said support and the stud.
 2. The support as set forth in claim 1 wherein the stud is of formed sheet metal and wherein said screw means is a sheet metal screw having threads extending from said shank.
 3. The support as set forth in claim 2 wherein said sheet metal screw includes a head having an annular flange adapted for bearing against the surface of said second side on opposed sides of said at least one slot.
 4. The support as set forth in claim 1 wherein said at least one slot comprises a pair of slots.
 5. The support as set forth in claim 4 wherein said screw means comprises a sheet metal screw adapted for penetrable engagement with each slot of said pair of slots.
 6. A bracket for interconnecting a horizontal element with a vertical stud, said bracket comprising in combination: a) a right angle flange formed of two orthogonal plates; b) a pair of elements interconnecting said orthogonal plates for restraining deformation of said right angle flange; c) one plate of said orthogonal plates being adapted for attachment to the horizontal element; d) the other plate of said orthogonal plates having a thickness and including at least a slot formed therein; e) attachment means for securing said other plate with the stud, said attachment means including a shank for penetrable engagement with said at least one slot and having a length, the length of said shank being greater than the thickness of said other plate, said attachment means including engaging means for engaging said attachment means with the stud for slidably engaging the stud to accommodate relative movement between the horizontal element and the stud.
 7. The bracket as set forth in claim 6, wherein each element of said pair of elements is a triangular-like plate.
 8. The bracket as set forth in claim 6, wherein said attachment means includes sheet metal threads.
 9. The bracket as set forth in claim 8, wherein said attachment means includes a collar about said shank.
 10. The bracket as set forth in claim 7, including a pair of slots disposed in said other plate.
 11. The bracket as set forth in claim 10, wherein said attachment means is a sheet metal screw in penetrable engagement with each of said slots.
 12. The bracket as set forth in claim 11, wherein each element of said pair of elements is a triangular-like plate.
 13. The bracket as set forth in claim 7, wherein said right angle flange includes opposed edges extending along said two orthogonal plates and wherein said pair of elements comprise a pair of triangular plates, one of said triangular plates being attached to each edge of said opposed edges.
 14. A method for attaching a horizontal building element with a vertical stud, said method comprising the steps of: a) rigidly attaching one plate of a right angle flange to the building element; b) slidably attaching another plate of the right angle flange to the stud; c) restraining movement between the one and the other plates with at least one element interconnecting the two plates; d) said step of attaching including the step of threadedly engaging the stud with a screw extending through a slot in the other plate; and e) preventing rigid engagement between the stud and the other plate with a shank of the screw having a greater length than the thickness of the other plate.
 15. The method as set forth in claim 14, including the steps of carrying out said steps of threadedly engaging and preventing with two screws, one screw being in penetrable engagement with one of two slots in the other plate.
 16. The method as set forth in claim 14, wherein said step of restraining is performed by a pair of triangular-like plates interconnecting the one and the other plates.
 17. The method as set forth in claim 16, wherein said step of attaching is carried out by the step of welding the one plate to the building element. 